Free Events This Week: Randy Singer, Alberto Ambard, Lingo

See selected photos and films from the CINTAS Foundation Fellows Collection for free this Tuesday

We'll be the first to admit we were relieved when we heard Miami-Dade County had canceled school and work today. Tropical Storm Isaac afforded us a few days of solitude away from the traffic-filled roads and the normal hustle and bustle that can pervade weekends in Miami.

(Plus, anything that shuts down a day of nonstop Republican campaigning is a godsend.)

But enough is enough. Cabin fever is starting to set in, and we're eager to get out of our homes and back into the real world. Make sure you have a look at some of the free events this week that offer all the fun of a good time without wrecking your wallet.

Monday

Jazz Mondays: If you haven't yet seen the jazz show at The Stage on the last Monday of the month, here's your opportunity. The Miami Jazz Cooperative pays homage to some of the best, including Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington.

Short films screening: Four students, four short films, all for free. O Cinema puts on "Merry Bloody Holiday," "Pieces," "White Meat" and "The Defect." How can you possibly resist films with titles like those?

Thursday

Introspection and Awakening: The Lowe Art Museum hosts a preview lecture and reception for their exhibition, "Japanese Art of the Edo and Meiji Periods." Admission is free for museum members; UM students, faculty and staff; and kids under 12. Seniors and non-UM students, however, have an entry fee of $5, and regular admission is $10.

Lingo: Just a few weeks before the September release of their EP Rearrange, Lingo play at the Funky Biscuit in Boca.